Cottage Inspired by a Ship's Cabin Designed by Prodesi | Domesi in the Czech Republic

Project: Cottage Inspired by a Ship's Cabin
Architects: Prodesi | Domesi
Location: Vranov nad Dyjí, Czech Republic
Area: 656 sq ft
Year: 2021
Photography: BoysPlayNice

Cottage Inspired by a Ship's Cabin by Prodesi | Domesi

Prodesi | Domesi designed a unique cottage inspired by a ship's cabin, located on the outskirts of the Czech town of Vranov nad Dyjí, on a rise with views of the Vranov Dam. The design principle is quite similar to other projects from this studio. If you liked this project, you will also love the Stribrna Skalice house and the Ropratice house — be sure to check them out.

A small cottage hidden behind larch sunboards, nestled among greenery above the Vranov Dam, provides an unexpectedly spacious interior. Not only does the owner's family but also guests can enjoy it. There is enough space for evening gatherings and sleeping. Every corner of the house has discreet storage spaces, everything has its place, just like in a ship's cabin. The interior of the house is interconnected yet the attic provides sufficient privacy. Surrounded by fir trees, the interior creates a cozy retreat, and large glass panels open up an amazing view of the water surface.

Originally, a tradition was passed down — the investor purchased a small cottage by the Vranov Dam from his grandfather. He approached Prodesi/Domesi with a specific task — he wanted to build a wooden cottage on existing foundations that would contain everything modern timber construction offers, and become a comfortable sanctuary for his family during weekends and holidays. The architects had to deal with the forested terrain, as well as the original plan for a unique cottage that needed to be followed during construction of the new timber building.

As architect Klara Vratislavova says: "Building the house proceeded in parallel with its interior, so we could effectively use every part of space that the original cottage provided." In the end, they managed to fit a dining room, living room with an amazing view of water level, spacious hall with a changing bench, bathroom, separate toilet, pantry and technical room in such a small space of 5 x 8.5 meters.

On the upper floor, they created larger but less spacious bedrooms and a wardrobe. "We approached designing the upper floor from the back: first we created necessary spaces for bedrooms, then 'trimmed' the excess part of the roof to make the house as small as possible. Our goal was to design a building that modestly fits into the green slope above water among mostly modest old cottages," adds Klara Vratislavova.

The ship's cabin was an important source of inspiration, triggered by the proximity to water surface, especially during interior design — everything in this small room is almost organized using literally every part of the space. The contrast between the exterior and interior appearance is also impressive. Outside, the house is purely functional and modest in material usage. On the contrary, inside it is modern, spacious, and thought out to detail.

– Prodesi | Domesi